Process for mixing gases and solids



Feb. 19, 1935. P. PEsTALozzA PROCESS FOR MIXING GASES AND SOLIDS Filed Deo. l2, 1931 .m m. ,w Z, m. ,m d J Q 5 M mv y A a a. j 3 30o /v/ r f M wl me Mm W a Patented Feb. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PROCESS FOR MIXING' GASES AND SOLIDS Paolo Pestalozza, Milan, Italy Application December 12, 1931, serial No. 580,710 In Italy December 22, 1930 2 Claims.

any desired movement to the said materials with-Vv out the need for mechanical elements of any kind cdming into contact therewith. Y I

The invention may be used Vfor mixing powdered bodies and gaseous bodies to effect various chemical transformations and a particular application of the invention is-Yfor the production of bleaching powder (chloride oflime) by'effecting a reaction between lime in the 'solid or powdered state and gaseous chlorine and in connection with this particular application it is an object of the inventionV to effect a very eflicient contact with and absorption by the slaked lime of the gaseous chlorine.

These objects are'carried'out in accordance with the invention by means of a pneumatic system operating either by suction or compression which, suitably regulated,gives the desiredl movements to the materials to be treated one being in the gaseous state and the other in the form of a solid ory powder.` InV the specific case of the manufacture of bleaching powder the pneumatic system by its nature produces numerous advantages, among which may be mentioned that a 'very effective cooling is produced by means of the air introduced with the chlorine in suitable quantities, the air serving to neutralize the heat produced by the combination of the lime and the chlorine. In this way it is possible to realize an intensified production and to obtain large productions with comparatively small apparatus compared with those generally employed.

It should be noted here that despite the considerable amount of air introducedthere is easily obtained a product of high chlorine content without the action of the carbon dioxide in the air producing any deleterious effect.

It is recognized that thevarious systems known hitherto for the production of bleaching powder (with the exception of the chlorinating chambers which require large surfaces and which have other disadvantages) are essentially of a mechanical nature and carry the necessity of using more or 55 less complicated mechanical elements which are `PATENT oFFIcEf sometimes in direct contact with the materials to Y be mixed (chlorine, lime and bleaching powder) which are corrosivaf Further, in all the mechanical systems, even the best and most modern (Backmann with vertical columns, Rudge with ro# tating, horizontally inclined tubes or rotating helices, all derived from the old Haasenclever) the mixture and the intimate contact between the gas and the powder are very limited inf comparison y with that which is obtained by the system ofthe" present invention. Consequently alsov the volumes of gas (mixture of chlorine and air) which can be lpassed through the apparatus arev very limited relatively to the size, if, as is' neccessary, it isrequired'that the lime should completely or mainly absorb the chlorine. It thus results that therquaritity of air introduced is limited by reducing the amount of gaseous chlorine introduced and the cooling on account of this air is, ineiect,

equally limited which in its turn limits definitely thepractical value of the apparatus. There is illustrated in the accompanying drawing the pneumatic process forming the subject of the present invention, as' applied by way of eX- i ample to the production of bleaching powder.

Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically a form of 4apparatus without return circulation and Fig. 2 Yshows diagrammatically a slightly modified system with return circulation.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the slaked vlime is charged into the cyclone chamber l by suction through the tube 2 and the movable coupling pipe 3. From the cyclone chamber 1Ythe material falls through the chamber 4 intol the reaction Y `or suspension chamber `5. Here the lime en counters the current of mixed gas i. e. air and chlorine which enters the reaction chamber through a diffuser placed at 6, the gases being removed by a suction current maintained through the body 'l (filter condenser) Vin the direction of the arrows. In the reaction chamber 5 the lime is subjected to an ascending gas current and to a continued suspension, .ya part thereof falling downwardly and a part being forced violently upwards towards the chamber 4. The speed and the active force of the lime, thus finely divided and brought into intimate contact with the gas itself which gives it motion, diminishes little by little through the chamber 4, either by the weight of material which tends to fall towards the bottom or by the progressively growing form of the chamber 4 which enlarges to a maximum at the chamber l, thus resulting in a speed insufficient to overcome the force of gravity and the force remaining in the lime which is thus obliged to fall down- Wardly. Owing to the form of the chamber 4 and the suction produced, the lime projected upwardly within the chamber 4 into the central Zone along the vertical axis tends to fall and moves towards the periphery in order to return again by gravity to the chamber 5, always at the periphery while the centre part is subjected to the ascending currents. In this way there is produced an exchange andcontinuous renewal of the materials in contact which is obliged during the course of a certain time to pass entirely through the movements indicated above in intimate contact with the gaseous mixture.

Since, as is known, the chemical transformation of lime into bleaching powder is effected by the contact of lime with gaseous chlorine, it is evident that inthe manner described, the best conditions for this reaction are realized by producing a high degree of subdivision andrenewing continually the material such as cannot be obtained with normal mechanical means.

Between the gas diiuser 6 andthe reaction chamber there is provided an inspection tube 8v for .controlling the functioning of the ap- ,-paratus and a union 9 for the lateral discharge.

It is evident that by removing the suction in the body 1k by simply opening the air tube 10 the materials contained in the chambers fl, 5 are discharged by their own weight laterally through @the said union 9 and the discharge opening 11.

The body '7 forms the necessary lter con,-v

denser designed to retain the small amount of material carried overr by the ascending current away from the chamber 1 and into thezone y'7 through the tube 12, This part of the apparatus may function as a porous filter 13 in which event it serves to retain and recover the material in the form of a dry powder or it 'may be in the form of a condenser 14. when it is designed to retain and eventually recover the material in the presence of moisture. In order to .retain any final traces from the gas which is taken to the suction pump, not represented on the drawing and .situated in the direction of the arrow 25, there is a nal or end absorber 18 which makes the gas bubblethrough a suitable liquid placed in the receivers 18', 18" before arriving at the pump.

Fig. 2 represents amore complex apparatus permitting a return circuit of the lime which has .already been activated. According to this type which functions as a cyclone separator'and recOVerer. Thematerial discharged from the body` Y1d is returned to the reaction area through the funnel 23, 24 or may be denitely discharged from the active zone. l v

By examiningFig. 2 itis easy to understand that the operation is controlled by thefadjustment of the cocks 17, 15 and the valve 19.' By regulating suitably the carriers for the gaseous material 20, 21 there is obtained suspension and transfer of the lime along the chamber 5', the product finally entering the chamber 4 for the reaction or directly to 14 through the tubes 21,

22 for discharging and returning to the reaction zone. It is evident Vthat the 'arrangements of the organs described and represented are in no wayy limitative of the invention but are given merely by way of example and the same result can be realized by diilerent'apparatus.

l. The 'herein described process for mixing powdered solids and gases to facilitate reactions between them, which consists in coniining a mass of the mixture, causing an ascending current of the gases to be established Within the connedmixture which current is being constantly renewed and the force of whichprogressively varies, thereby agitating the solids within the mass, and facilitating reactions between them and. the gaseous! constituents;-

dirninishing the velocityof the, said currentas it moves upward until it is no longervstrong enough to support the solids but allows them- `to fallr back by gravity, restoring the falling solids .to the ascending. current to Abe further moved,y

of mixed'chlorine gas and air intoand-through e410 a reaction chamber beneathy `a.,solidma tel'ialV delivery inlet, such stream vbeing-of progressively decreasing intensity, delivering nely dividedlime from said inlet and causing it to fall lunderthe.

inuence of gravity through said gas stream until .g5

it comes into contact with that part ofthe stream which is of suiiicient velocity tohold the limeA particles in suspension andralso Vto foroedbom upwardly within the reaction chamber untiLa :15.0 is insurlcierit to maintain the lime particles in point is reached where the velocity of the stream suspension, whereupon they again fall untilthey come into Contact with that portion lofrthe chlorine-air gas stream. which is of lsuillciellt velocity to force the lime particles. `again-up wardly, thechlorine-air gas stream Y,being continuouslyY withdrawn from the upper portion of the reaction chamber, and ltering such withdrawn gas;

VPAOLO rnsrA'LozzA; i. ,60 

